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Basic re-wiring, Disco series 1 300TDi


Boydie

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Okay enough is enough of me searching for the right wire, I've decided to totally re-wire my Disco, it has an intermitant fault in that on occassion it simply wont start, a fault I think is due to a poor/defective contact in the anti-theft module. If I leave the car alone for 10 minutes or so it will kick in, up to then nothing so in maintaining the policy of KISS (keep it simple stupid) I've decided to rip out every wire and just retain the basics,

Radio,

Electric windows,

Air Conditioning including heater fan.

Guages (speedo etc.)

Wipers (F&R) and washers

Lights, head full and dip and side lights.

Rear window heater.

Fog lights (F&R)

Driving lights.

Accessories including winch, second battery, fridge..

everything else wiring wise will go including remote door control.

has anyone done this and if so is there a wiring diagram on the forum?

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wow, that's going to be interesting to do. the accessory functions such as wipers, rear fogs, heated rear window etc are controlled via the multi function unit on the back of the fuse box.

i would imagine that with a lot of patience that you could remove the central locking and alarm system from a loom.

you'll need to get hold of a copy of Rave for the wiring diagrams though. have you tried a spider bypass unit?

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Just to say my own 300Tdi disco has this fault.. Turn it off go shop/garage etc then back in and turn the key and NOTHING..just a click from somewhere in the passenger footwell..When it 1st did it i called the RAC out but then after 5 mins sat there waiting it just started up on the key as per normal. I even changed the starter motor and various relays but itll still do it when your least expecting it, I can only assume its something to do with the immobiliser/green box in the foorwell but no one seems to know what. Just another one of those landrover things i guess

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Scott, thank goodness I'm not the only one, but I will fix this once and for all, from my initial sorties into RAVE all the multifunction "box" does is switch current and thankfully my unit is pre engine electronics so it get it running all I need to do is "jumper" the starter motor solonoid and she fires up, so obviously power is getting to the fuel solonoid. Even so it has to end, the KISS principle will be applied :angry2:

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Just to say my own 300Tdi disco has this fault.. Turn it off go shop/garage etc then back in and turn the key and NOTHING..just a click from somewhere in the passenger footwell..When it 1st did it i called the RAC out but then after 5 mins sat there waiting it just started up on the key as per normal. I even changed the starter motor and various relays but itll still do it when your least expecting it, I can only assume its something to do with the immobiliser/green box in the foorwell but no one seems to know what. Just another one of those landrover things i guess

The green box is the alarm/central locking ecu. The immobiliser, so called "spider" is deep within the dash, so remobilise your engine it just requires the fob to be close to the ignition switch.

You may have a problem with the spider, it's not unknown for them to go faulty... There is a thread in the forum on how to bypass the spider.

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The more I study the wiring diagrams the more I become convinced that the wiring was designed by Lord Lucas, The Prince of Darkness :rtfm: and I think (hope) that I've got most of the required connections sorted, the next step will be to take a deep breath and remove the existing loom(s) and begin to step by step rewire the car, it really shouldnt be that hard ...................... :o

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Had that problem on the previous Disco, never got to the bottom of it.

The current one one did it once just after we had it about 2 yrs ago. Fitted a new ignition/steering lock because the original was very worn about 4 months ago and its been fine since. Apparently this is a common failure part according to our local indy LR garage.

Both '98 300TDi manuals.

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Re-wiring the entire car because it won't start is IMHO a bad idea. That's like demolishing your house because the washing machine leaks. That's assuming you really are re-wiring everything from scratch.

Personally, without knowing the history, I would look at the famous Alarm Spider thread in the tech archive, and then try some fault-finding based on testing, inspection and elimination - there's not very much to go wrong with a TDi disco that would stop it from starting, and you can check most of it very easily.

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I think a lot of what you say is partially correct, as we speak the dash is out and wires that serve accessories that I dont have are being removed _ a huge pile of cables !!!! The auto-door lock has been removed and bypassed and the spider has been killed and discarded, the car starts !!!

My rationale is that the standard loom is designed for EVERY possible senario of accessories, front & rear A/C F&R sunroofs, heated seats etc. consequently there are, on my bare bones basic car with aircon as the only option, a huge amount of cables and relays that are un-used and certainly not required and only serve to confuse. When Julie and I drive off into the desert we get tired of the times the "impact' relay fires off and the hazard flashers initiate so thats one "safety" item that is doomed to the garbage bin .

Without the needless clutter and to keep things nice and simple and easy to trace electrical faults ---- if its not needed it going to be stripped out and discarded. At the same time I'm drawing up whats left and I'll build my own loom in heavy duty cabel for a future project.

NB My old and broken down washing machine keeps asking me for a dish washer but I told her I married one :hysterical:

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Ok job done, I removed the dash completely, found and killed the spider and bridged out the wires as per RAVE, the same for the anti-theft unit and relocated the window ECU to a more accessable location. The redundant and excess wiring was then stripped out, all in 3 hours - bloody metres of it as well as relays and fuses !!

The dash was then replaced dash and the beast taken for a run. it went like a dream and no more annoying "lock-outs" once the engine was turned off and more importantly i wont have to put up with the bloody hazard lights firing off on heavily corrugated out-back roads anymore !

I've just got to get used to manually locking the doors

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So,

The problem I had experienced was threefold.

1.) Several too many corrugated roads had left me with a iffy drivers door actuator (expensive)

2.) A nasty spider that on occassion refused to allow me to start the engine.

3.) A further problem was afore said corrugared roads, a feature of the disco is that if a hard thump is experienced a sensor in the anti-theft/door actuator CPU turns the hazard lights on and opens all the doors,a noble safety feature unless its going to occur every kilometre or so in which case it becomes a pain in the rectum.

So, to solve these problems.

First, hardware, all that is needed is three (3) lengths of paperclip 3/4" long and insulated with heatshrink apart from a 3/16 portion of bare wire at each end of each wire. You will also need two good magnetic Phillips screwdrivers, a conventional one around 8" long and a stubby right-angled one ---- do not start this job without them unless you are by profession a proctologist with very thin 6" long fingers. A 7mm open ender / ring spanner will be needed to remove the Anti-theft device.

Second, remove the centre dash section, this isnt too hard, 12 screws locate it, pull off the dials and heater knob, behind are 2 screws, remove the ash tray and dummy switch panle and behind arte 4 screws, remove the radio, unplug the ariel and the two power and speaker plugs behind it and remove it, BEFORE you do this wrirte down the security code, if you dont have it DO NOT disconnect the radio.

Remove the internal frame that held the radio by bending back the retaining tabs and press out the plastic bottom cover plate and remove the 2 small top screws and the longer ones 2 behind the cover plate, lastly press out the clock and change tray and remove the last 2.

Change the tiny bulb on the heater panel as a precaution while its off, yours is probably either blown or that burnt it isnt illuminating anymore anyway.

Okay, peering inside you will see the SPIDER, this is a small cigarette packet sized box under the frame that held the radio, it is held by two philliops self tappers, the front one nearest you is easy, the rear one is going to take the services of the right angled screwdriver. Once you have it out and in your hand remove the connector. oi has 10 pins, on the connector with 2 of your paperclip bridges connect 6 - 10 and 4 - 8. Test by starting your engine.It will start with no problem, if it doesnt check your two bridge wires, you have them connected wrong.

Replace the dash console, place the spider in a bucket and drown the little person I'm not that keen on.

Next, the anti-theft device (ATD). - Now no self respecting car thief in Oz steals 15 year old land Rover Discoveries but if you're in an area where this happens you might want to disregard this next step until you can afford to buy and develop a working relationship with a Rotweeler who is happy to remain in the back of your car for extended periods.

Remove the cardboard cover under the glove box, this is held in place by three studs and a screw plug. Looking up you will see a green box, its held in place with two 7mm nuts, the front one is easy, the back one will require patience and several band aids for your cut fingers. The bracket it's mounted on hinges down once the 13mm nut is removed. Once removed pull out the two connectors, the one nearest is the one to look at, with the final bridge connect 10 - 11.

Test by starting the engine.

While you are in this cramped position you might want to relocare the electric window CPU which is located above the position that of the AFD had, its a doosy !!! again its held by two 7mm nuts, I relocated it to the position vacated by the ATD just so that if I need to change it it wont take me 2 hours to swap it.

Sorry no photos but you shouldnt have too much problem following this easy fix. By the way, I cheated, once the front dash cover was out I went further and removed the steering wheel, speedo binacle and dash in its entirity and then stripped out every unwanted and superflous wire, relay and fuse and simplified the wiring 100% as a result. You might want to think about doing the same one day.

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  • 6 years later...
On 2/20/2013 at 8:59 AM, teabag said:

The green box is the alarm/central locking ecu. The immobiliser, so called "spider" is deep within the dash, so remobilise your engine it just requires the fob to be close to the ignition switch.

You may have a problem with the spider, it's not unknown for them to go faulty... There is a thread in the forum on how to bypass the spider.

Hi.anychance of helping me out here.no hurry but the green box under pass footwell has two plugs the grey one is the one it has a yellow wire from the here to back of speedo clocks.dont know where it goes to big help if you could tried everything. Thanks

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Bypass the alarm / immobiler with a home grown one and you should have sorted the problem.

We did on our 300 Tdi Disco's - esp. the Mrs. her German spec one was a nightmare.... Obviously, a simple hidden switch can be fitted to delay theft..

BTW....

" My old and broken down washing machine keeps asking me for a dish washer but I told her I married one "

You're a much brave man than me....

Much, much braver 😎

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